This week, I’ve been reminded again of something I appreciate about you guys: there are so many of you that consistently show up and interact in the comments, talking to me and also to each other.
As I look back on my posts, I see comment counts in the dozens and dozens on most posts, and this is a really unusual thing to see on a blog in 2020. So, I wanted to say that I really appreciate you guys!
Some bloggers I’ve talked to really have no idea who is reading their blogs (people just read and leave without writing a comment), and I imagine that might feel like just throwing information out into the void.
I’d kind of hate that.
But you all are so good at showing up and chatting, I feel like I really do know a lot of you, and I always look forward to hearing your input in discussions.
I feel so grateful for you all, and I just wanted you to know. 
Alrighty! On to grocery shopping and food.
What I Spent
I spent $157 at the grocery store, plus $25 on my Hungry Harvest box.
I had $750 budgeted for January, a five week month, so I have $196 left to spend next week.
So, unless we eat lobster and steak all next week, I should finish January under budget.
January Grocery Spending ($150/week budget)
Week 4: $182
What We Ate
Saturday
The girls fended for themselves. I think some of them may have mainly eaten hot-from-the-oven squash rolls, honestly.*
And Mr. FG and I went out for a pizza date night. We both legitimately wanted pizza, so this wasn’t a budgetary decision…but pizza makes it very easy for us to stay in our $20/week date night budget.
*I do not have the squash roll recipe posted, but at least one of you has asked for it. So, I will make them again, taking notes on exactly what I did this time, and I’ll post the recipe.
Sunday
We had chicken sausages on hot dog buns, plus some kind of produce that I can’t remember.
By the way: if you butter the hot dog buns and toast them in a hot skillet for a few minutes, it really elevates the whole experience. Highly recommend!
Monday
I tried Pioneer Woman’s orange chicken recipe, and I don’t know what went wrong, but the chicken wasn’t brown and crispy, even with the double frying.
I am mystified by this because I have successfully made fried shrimp on many a kid’s birthday here, and it’s always been brown and crispy.
(Honestly, I usually skip the second fry when I make fried shrimp, and it’s STILL crispier than this was.)
Anyway.
We liked her sauce, and I will probably try this again, using the fried shrimp batter that has been my standby.
Tuesday
Some dairy products really seem to be bothering Sonia (Luckily cream and butter do not bother her. Phew!), which means I have been busy trying to find new dinner recipes that do not rely on dairy.
(Was it not enough to be dealing with a shellfish allergy and all of Sonia’s nut and raw produce allergies? Oy. At least she is not sensitive to gluten or to eggs, and I am grateful for that. She’d really have a rough time then!)
Anyway, I tried a pork tinga recipe from a library ATK book. It’s basically slow cooked pork butt and rice in a chipotle-seasoned broth.
We topped ours with sour cream (except for Sonia), and everyone thought it was tasty.
Wednesday
I tried a recipe from the latest Cook’s Country magazine for pork stroganoff with pancetta. This too received a thumbs up from the family, so yay!
The sauce is really flavorful even before you add the sour cream, so I just dished up a portion for Sonia before I added the sour cream for everyone else.
Brief sidebar: I cannot recommend the Cook’s Country magazine enough. I consistently find good dinner recipes from those magazines, which makes the subscription price completely worth it to me.
(I pay for my own subscription, just to be clear!)
It’s less than $25/year, which means that even if you found two good recipes that helped you avoid takeout, the magazine would more than pay for itself.
Thursday
I made fish cake sandwiches (this fish cake recipe, on toasted buns, topped with tartar sauce), and we ate those with raw veggies.
Friday
I’m planning to make fried mush, chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and Orange Julius.
What did you have for dinner this week?
Cathy in NJ says
Kristen,
I love this blog and visit almost daily.
I also love to read the kindhearted and smart comments. It has been many times that you or one of the Commenters pointed me to a solution to a problem. A grateful thank you to all.
I have allergies to dairy too. My current goto is Oat milk. I think I wore out my welcome with Soy when I used it so much after the dairy allergy emerged. Fresh peaches are a problem also but cook them and all is well. Dairy that is cooked into a bread is ok, guess 350 degrees for an hour changes the structure.
Kristen says
Kindhearted…yes, that’s a good way to describe how the comments section feels here. So great.
Sonia can eat peaches if they’re cooked too. So peach cobbler is fine, but a raw peach is now. Peaches are so good raw, I feel terrible for her that she can’t have them.
Amber says
I love your blog so much and I also love the comments section! I don’t comment much but I read every post.
I’m the one who bought the crocheted solar system from you a couple of years ago — I still have it proudly displayed in my bedroom and love every piece. I love that it was handmade and that I was the one who was lucky enough to purchase it! <3
Kristen says
Oh, it’s so lovely to hear from you…I’ll tell Sonia that you are still loving the solar system. Yay!
Michelle H says
Totally forgot to say – thank you for this blog! It’s upbeat, positive while still keeping it real, and I enjoy your frugalness, photo skills, and recipes. Your crustless pumpkin pie is a big hit at my house! You and Katy at The Nonconsumer Advocate are the only blogs I follow nowadays, and if I remember correctly your blog is the one that led me to hers.
Michelle H says
In January I always try to limit grocery purchases to loss leaders, milk, bread and produce, and work my way through the stockpile in my freezer and pantry.
Friday night was chili and skillet cornbread, featuring hamburger from the freezer, canned beans, tomatoes and sauce that were 19 cents on sale last month. Have enough leftover chili for my lunch for the next few days.
Last night’s dinner was bacon, eggs and canned biscuits – dinner for 5 for $1.29! (Bacon .44 cents after sale and coupon, biscuits .66 after sale and coupon, dozen eggs .29, and still have 4 left)
Tonight’s dinner is toasted sandwiches to use up a slightly stale loaf of bread that got lost after getting put away in the wrong cabinet, lunch meat picked up for $1.99 a pound on sale yesterday, and rather than buying sliced cheese I’m slicing up an 8 oz brick of swiss picked up for .69 a few weeks ago.
Tomorrow’s breakfast will be banana bread to use up frozen brown bananas, and smoothies to use up some fresh spinach that’s beginning to look tired, finish off a partial bag of frozen fruit, and a low sugar yogurt I got free that no one likes.
I think Monday’s dinner will be spaghetti using more freezer hamburger, jarred sauce that was .49 after sale and coupon, free pasta, and a 19 cent can of tomatoes. Some kind of veg, and canned fruit.
Alice Steiniger says
I love your posts.
Ruby says
I became lactose-intolerant in my 50s and soy intolerant last year at 59. Almond milk is my friend and I try very hard to avoid dairy, which cut way back on our eating out, as my husband also is lactose intolerant. He also has to avoid carbs as much as possible due to being a diabetic. Asian restaurants seem to get most of our dining out dollar. We can manage a small amount of very sharp cheese, as long as it’s a small amount and does not become a regular thing.
This week, we had homemade beef vegetable barley soup until it was gone, at which point I made spaghetti sauce loaded with peppers, mushrooms, black olives and slightly spicy pork sausage to go with whole grain noodles.
The sauce ran out before the noodles, which were converted into tuna-noodle casserole with mushrooms and frozen green peas. Yum! The casserole last night was supplemented with a half pan of frozen Parker House rolls that did not get used at Christmas.
Lorraine Webber says
I love a toasted bun!
And I love your blog. Its the only one I read consistently anymore and I am always impressed by how respectful people are in the comments.
Saturday- ?
Sunday- tacos
Monday-tacos
Tuesday – I got Burger King. That was mistake. It was terrible.
Wednesday – I was sooo hungry after work that I grabbed a thick slice of apple walnut bread I made over the weekend and spread peanut butter on it for a “snack” but naturally, after eating that, I wasn’t hungry for dinner. But I had some chicken that I wasn’t comfortable letting sit for another day so I marinated it and cooked it in the air fryer for meals later in the week.
Thursday – We were treated to a belated Christmas luncheon at work. It was at the Cheesecake Factory. Needless to say, I was not hungry for a full-on dinner. I just nibbled on a little bit of the chicken I cooked Wednesday.
Friday – broccoli cheddar soup with French bread.
Deidre H says
I’ve been a lurker for a few years now and never commented. I hadn’t thought about how some bloggers must feel, never knowing if they are read. I enjoy many of your posts. I’ve been in a cooking rut of late and decided that I need to find inspiration for some new recipes here from everyone! Thank you everyone for sharing!
Suzan says
Poor Sonia. I do feel for her as I have crustacean, egg and some grain allergies. Then I am intolerant to lactose and a few other things. It makes my meal times difficult.
This week we have had a lamb roast with lots of trimmings that has provided four evening meals for the two of us. After that I made rissoles and vegetables and that has fed us two meals. Our shopping this week has mainly consisted of topping up fruit, vegetables, bread and milk.
Deidre says
I echo a lot of the comments made, I really enjoy this blog & hearing from everyone – so amazing to me that I found this blog because I bought a pair of op-shop jeans & got them hemmed only to have the button break off when I bent down – was so disappointed! Not very hopeful I googled ‘how to replace buttons on jeans” -and guess what?! Frugal girl appeared on the screen with an entry on how to do just what I was looking for; & this non-sewing girl successfully replace her button on jeans she wears to this day – & into the bargain I’m getting to know all of you, getting ideas, inspiration, & encouragement, whoodah thought?!
Deidre says
forgot to put what I ate!
I managed to stay away from takeout this week – so happy.
I had 2 nights of steak & steamed veg with half a baked potato, 2 nights of roast chicken with steamed vegies, a very late dinner where I ate a jam sandwich, one dinner at my sis’, & a filling though not to be repeated bowl of thai-ish pumpkin coconut soup from the pantry mixed with 2 min noodles & leftover mixed vegies – it really wasn’t a great texture or flavour (I had imagined the outcome to be quite different) but anyhow it was hot & filling.
Next time I’ll have the soup as is with the buttered toast Kristen mentioned….
Tonight will be brunch for dinner – bacon, avo & poached eggs on toast -yum
Brigitte says
Hello Kristen
I am always intrigued by your weekly menu. It is so interesting to see the difference between two countries.
It is summer here in Australia and our gardens are bursting with greens and fresh produce from roadside stalls. Here in the Swan valley where we live grapes watermelon rockmelon and peaches plums nectarines are always available as the producers grow them here in the valley. Prices are reasonable and we try to support our locals.
This is what we ate this week.
Saturday we had beef risotto with a fresh salad and peaches with custard and cream.
Sunday is my day off from cooking so it’s a freezer meal I usually make during the week. Sunday we are a chicken lasagna followed by fresh fruit I bought after church.
Monday was a fish curry with fried rice and a apple crumble with ice cream.
Tuesday was roast lamb with all vegetables as I need cold meat for lunches during the week. We had grapes for desserts.
Wednesday I made pork chops with German potato salad and home made sauerkraut. Apple pie and cream.
I also made a cottage pie and froze it for Sunday’s meal.
Thursday was chicken kebabs with fried rice. I made a batch of pumpkin scones so we had one of those with a cup of tea.
Friday is fish in this house so it was battered fish calamari and chips with salad and fresh fruit.
As you can see this family likes a sweet treat after dinner so I do my best to incorporate lots of fruit.
There are 4 mouths to feed here my husband and his two parents who are both 94 and doing well. Also two dogs and 5 chickens.
Budgeting is always ongoing as my husband has retired and I am the carer in this home.
But we count our blessings every day for what we have warts and all.
It is Australia day long weekend here time for barbecues.
Cheers Brigitte
Dianne says
Sunday – veggie stir fry with noodles, potstickers
Monday – potato & chorizo dish, green salad
Tuesday – chicken noodle soup, orange slices, leftovers
Wednesday – leftovers
Thursday – BBQ pork shoulder, mac & cheese, peas, green salad, orange slices
Friday – went out for tacos
Saturday – ???
Kate Braun says
Thanks for the cooking magazine information!!
Jenny says
Such a good-looking girl…and cat! They look happy. That inspires me to volunteer at a shelter, but I am swamped with paperwork and have made a rule for myself that I have to get caught up before I volunteer for more stuff.
Kimberly Toti says
We appreciate you also.
Thank you for so many great posts all these years!!
I have learned a lot from you!
Joyce says
I have learned so much from the Cooks Country TV shows and their magazines. Highly recommend it.
Jen says
Somehow I never knew there was a TV show! I found ti on my local PBS at noon on Saturdays. Now the problem is that it makes me want to eat more.
Betta from daVille says
The Friday posts (and comments are my fav) and I really appreciate both the inspiration (it is commendable how many new recipes that you are willing to try) and the reminder to meal plan….
Sat: Julia Child’s roasted chicken with gravy and roasted carrots and leeks
Sunday: Vinegar and honey braised short ribs, mashed potatoes, and salad
Monday: Pork carnitas (I made a giant batch so I have 5 1-lb bags of it in freezer now), with cilantro sauce (we put entire cilantro in the bullet with a bit of olive oil and salt, freeze in small jars for when we need it), homemade crema and pickled onions, and cabbage/veg slaw
Tuesday: salami, cheese, and popcorn (I was feeling super lazy!)
Wednesday: mushroom ramen at work
Thursday: leftover pork carnitas
Friday: tidbits in fridge/fend for yourself
priskill says
Aw, have to say how much I enjoy this lovely blog and the very nice community who post here, as someone down-thread mentioned, people are polite, even when they disagree — so rare nowadays and such a pleasure!
Well, not our finest week — birthday for husband was nice but there followed a couple unscheduled eating outs. But — we did salvage a few days:
Used up the last of the much discounted frozen ground turkey to make Shepard’s pie one night, with salad. The following night featured a weird no-name mashup of the very last bit of turkey sauteed with all kind of cubed veggies, plus more salad and steamed broccoli. There were some other lame meals but I cannot remember them. Oh and highly discounted frozen pops for dessert.
My only win this week was trudging home to cook the weird mashup at 7:30 after helping husband shop for an upcoming work trip. I really, really, REALLY wanted to eat just about anything that didn’t involve me in the kitchen at the stove, but we forced ourselves to cook the food we had at home. And it was fine!
Carol says
I read your blog almost daily, Kristen and haven’t really commented much until recently. You inspire me to improve all the time and I thank you for sharing your life with all of us. I think my favorite post each week is five frugal things.
What we spent – $4.49 on a gallon of milk. Everything else was from stuff on hand.
We had potato soup 2 nights, chicken and rice-a-roni 1 night, leftover Mac-n-cheese 1 night, miscellaneous other stuff from the freezer the rest of the nights.
jen says
Carol, I bet you win the lowest amount spent for a week of food! Awesome! unless someone actually owns a cow.
I, too, love how readers converse so nicely here, and am honored to be part of it.
Carol says
Jen,
I have a tendency to stockpile and so my pantry and freezer had lots to ‘shop’ from. One of my 2020 goals is to not let things go bad in my fridge. Luckily I have chickens to toss some of my wilting stuff to but I’m going to buy more carefully. I am also going to try growing my own herbs because I have wasted enough money on things only to have them go bad and get tossed. I am rereading my Tightwad Gazettes and I’m kind of realizing that Amy D. is right and I don’t need fresh vegetables every day. It’s all in changing my mindset.
Jana says
We do dairy-free in our house and these chicken squash boats are great! Hearty and semi-healthy (cause squash, right?) https://fedandfit.com/creamy-chicken-bacon-spaghetti-squash-boats/
Kristen says
Oooh, Sonia likes spaghetti squash! I’ll show her these.
Sarah R says
I’m in a rush and will have to come back and read the comments, but I just wanted to say that Costco’s frozen food section has orange chicken that my family loves. It’s perfect for days when I just don’t feel like cooking!
Thanks for all the work you do in putting together the blog. I know there’s a lot of work, and I appreciate it!
priskill says
We also like Trader Joe’s version — surely not as good as homemade, but pretty decent and not too unhealthy
Caitlin says
I’ll second Trader Joe’s orange chicken. 4 families on are block are lovers of it! Everyone has it stashed in their freezer for N easy dinner night
Ruth T says
Know that the gratefulness goes both ways and the work and effort you put in matters. Thank you!
Monday: Sloppy joes, peas, sweet potatoes
Tuesday: The rest of the family had chicken nuggets and strawberries while I went out to dinner with a bunch of moms from my daughter’s kindergarten class. It was fun and I’m glad someone thought of the idea. Our kids will likely be in school together for a long time, so we might as well get to know each other!
Wednesday: Brats and roasted cauliflower
Thursday: Crispy chicken wraps (a new recipe that’s a keeper!) with peaches.
Friday: Planning on chicken and noodles, though I really just want to order a pizza. But I will persevere and the frugal side will win.
Deidre says
yes dinner make you will, dark side thin wallet and fat you make…. – well this is what I have been telling myself this week
Sharon says
Thank you so much for STILL writing a blog! Sorting through Facebook and similar social media is exhausting often. The thoughts you share are invaluable – please keep it up!
Lindsey says
Saturday: went freezer spelunking and found bread bits so made French toast from white bread, a piece of dark rye, two very elderly English muffins and a crumpet. Added some homemade apple syrup and it was all surprisingly delicious (and cheap).
Sunday: moose tacos
Monday and Tuesday: Thanksgiving turkey soup
Wednesday: Tuna and egg salad sandwiches on freshly baked bread. I think we just wanted an excuse to eat the warm bread.
Thursday: salmon chowder with more of the bread
Friday: tonight is McDonalds filet of fish for me, with a gift card my sister sent me because she, too, eats filet of fish on Fridays. Husband is going to finish off some pizza leftovers that we stuck in the freezer weeks ago.
WilliamB says
Freezer spelunking! I love it.
I guess I’m doing that a bit also: I defrosted my freezer but haven’t been shopping so I’m still scraping the bottom of the barrel for food. Tonight I served the elderly half Turducken. It was tasty but dry. :-<
So now I'm making Turducken-Rice Soup. Very quick to make when you have good chicken stock on hand. OTOH, I have 1.5 gallons of it. Guess I have something to put in my freezer after all.
Other meals this week included:
– Taco night
– Frozen dimsum, which I steam with broccoli
– Smorgesborg
– My lunch today was an experiment: I wanted mashed potatoes, but not plain ones but also not creamy-rich ones. So I tried mixing in the leftover taco meat. Not bad, not bad at all.
Deidre says
loving the freezer spelunking- haven’t heard that word since reading Trixie Beldon series in primary school – you just brought back some lovely memories & made me laugh than you
kristin @ going country says
I started calling this “freezer diving” with our old, really deep chest freezer that sometimes made it hard to re-surface . . .
Deidre says
Hah! I love it; my gran had one of those & got her butter & cheese from a cousin’s farm so no commercial wrapping – she got them mixed up once & the powder puff sponge cakes made with cheese turned out as hard rocks – she & I laughed so hard (named so as they look just like the old fashioned make-up powder puffs)
vanessa says
Hello Kristen…Greetings from Vancouver Island! I have to say I have been reading and enjoying your content for YEARS and not once have I commented! So today I felt compelled to say hello, and let you know how much I love your posts and your positive attitude, and I have enjoyed watching your family grow over the years. Here’s to a new year of me chipping in on the comments!
Kristen says
Oh, yay! Thanks for delurking for at least a moment.
LDA says
I love “buttered buns toasted in the skillet” for whatever is to be in the filling! I’ve not done this in ages, so thanks for the reminder! Trying to watch all spending in January (it seems that I’m never sufficiently stocked up on EVERYTHING to accomplish a no-spend month), so I went to Aldi & spent $36 on most of my list of basic food only items. For the rest I went to Kroger & spent another $36. It always amazes me how much bang for my buck I can get at Aldi.
Kristen says
It’s crazy how much buttering and toasting improves a sandwich of any sort.
Caitlin says
Buttered buns were a game changer for our crockpot bbq chicken sandwiches! It makes them way yummier!
Jody S. says
I took my daughters out to a fancier (for us) restaurant for a mother-daughter date a couple of years ago. There was brunch, and they got muffins which came sliced in half, buttered and toasted. This is how I want my muffins now, especially if they are a day old.
It feels like an expensive treat, but it is homemade and frugal (because it makes leftovers more than appealing). For people who often do without, little things like buttered buns in a frugal way to treat yourself and feel fancy.
Heidi Louise says
I read once how during the depression, people would eat their bread “upside down,” meaning that the butter side touched their tongue, making the most of the buttery flavor. I admit I don’t often treat food in my mouth like a wine tasting.
Deidre says
mmm bread…mmm butter…mmm toasted bread and butter…hungry now I am…
Bobi says
I love your blog! Stitch Fix posts are my all time favorite but I enjoy most of your posts and I, too, enjoy the comments. I like the fact that most everyone is polite even when we disagree. I also like that you post so regularly. There are some blogs that have great content but I need a fix more often than once a month, so thanks for being both reliable and relevant!
Jeana says
I am a recent convert to Aldi and I could just cry about how much money I’ve been wasting. I went to Aldi last year and left with almost nothing, Not impressed. I don’t know why, but this time I found everything I usually buy, even the high end yogurt we eat when our goats aren’t in milk and we can’t make our own. It’s the same yogurt, for half the price! My budget is in love!
JD says
Thank you too!
This week we had a pork and cabbage “curry” dish one night.
I cooked a six pack of pork chops in the oven and we had chops with roasted white potato cubes for him, sweet potato cubes for me, and the rest of the cabbage, sliced and cooked in broth. Another night, we had chops with sauteed okra and rosemary carrots.
We had from the freezer shrimp and a salad one night.
I made a pot of beef stew, froze some and we ate some.
I cut up a chicken and made chicken tenders and salad.
Last night I cooked a chicken dish from A Squirrel in the Kitchen, that calls for carrots, onions, apples, and a few prunes with the chicken. The recipe calls for breast meat, but I just skinned the leg quarters from the chicken I cut up, and used those instead. They worked just fine.
I knew I would be over budget last week, and I sure was. I have two more Fridays to shop this month, today and next week, and my budget is almost blown. Here goes!
D.B. says
I have been a long, long time reader of your blog and I truly appreciate all that you do for us readers! You have specifically impacted my life and so many others (cause I spread the word ) with your info about food waste, budgeting and homeschooling. So grateful for you and your family!
Karen. says
“I imagine that might feel like just throwing information out into the void” — I also would hate that. I’ve been tempted to launch something, but the time for starting a small but interactive blog is past. It’s not a novelty anymore. Tried-and-true blogs with longtime communities are where it’s at. “Web presence” is way more of a thing now than is “interactive blog”. And I don’t love internet work enough to settle for web presence.
This week’s food has included creamy taco mac (with inadvertent cloves in a cumin-grab error; not that bad, but not recommended); teriyaki chicken with pineapple (way too salty); barbecue shredded chicken sandwiches; hamburgers (twice); crack layered chip dip; fish sticks and tater tots (because sometimes ya gotta).
Jody S. says
I agree about the web presence thing. I have sighed over and over as active blogs I like have faded away because blogs are my preferred form of social media. So, yay, Kristen, for keeping it up for so long. I have a tiny little not very active blog and have such a hard time posting regularly. I know it takes a lot of time to foster this community.
Stacy says
Ugh, I’ve been sick this week so our meals have been off-kilter. Using a lot of leftovers.
Monday: leftover pork quinoa bowls with oranges on the side
Tuesday: chicken soup leftovers I made on Sunday
Wednesday: out to taco night with some friends that are moving (only 15 min further away, so hopefully we’ll still see them often!)
Thursday: I was so sick… we just reheated soup and our LO gave us all cashews from the pantry to have as a side
Friday: I have ingredients a spinach mushroom pasta that I’ve meant to make all week, we’ll see if it gets made tonight…
Carol says
I hope you feel better soon!
Martha C says
I love reading all your posts, but especially WIS,WWA. It gives me good menu ideas…and so do the comments!
Let’s see if I remember:
Saturday ground beef tacos, raw veggies
Sunday rice and beans, raw veggies
Monday leftovers
Tuesday I don’t remember
Wednesday: I took the taco meat leftovers, mixed with what was left of rice and beans, tossed in a can of refrieds. This mixture got rolled up in tortillas, covered with enchilada sauce and mild cheddar and baked in oven. I called it “Tacoencharitos” Everyone liked it.
Thursday: shrimp curry with some veggies thrown in, pineapple
Tonight: Sausage/potato/kale soup
Martha C says
I just remembered Tuesday! I busted my Dad out of Memory Care and took him to Max & Erma’s. My mom and brother met us there. It was truly wonderful to be all together (and he was on his best behavior) and worth every penny.
Maria says
There are some non dairy alternatives to cream cheese and sour cream that I love, as a hardened omnivore, who occasionally takes vegan breaks. Tofutti is the brand, and I have been able to find it at Kroger, so you might be able to find it at a local grocery store as well. I believe they have a website that can tell you where it’s available near you. There are lots of vegan versions of things that are pretty tasty, that maybe all your family members would like. Might make it easier to cook for everyone without worrying as much about the one person with sensitivities. Hope that helps.
Gina says
I have tried the Orange Chicken Copycat Recipe. Its from Dinner then Dessert, it was really good. Hope this helps. We have been dealing with a new peanut allergy for a couple of years for my teen daughter and trying to find anything she can eat has been hard. We are also having a gluten intolerance so I totally understand. It does get easier. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
Corrine says
Monday and Tuesday- vegetarian cashew paella
Wednesday and Thursday- bean burgers on whole wheat buns with roasted cauliflower
Friday- leftovers
We spent about $85 this week on groceries, but this included large pack of chicken and ground beef that will last us a while. Have a great weekend everyone!
Grandma Bev says
I hadn’t thought of the milk, my hips just started complaining too… The last months of eggnog didn’t bother me, and it was so good. You feel like my extended family too! Bless you.
Debra says
You may want to try Mediterranean recipes. They are usually not made with dairy products and would give you lots of options. ATK has a great Mediterranean cookbook.
Allison says
Asian recipes are often dairy free–Chinese, Japanese. We do an egg free bi bim bap which is a favorite, easily customizable and nice to use up random veggies. I recently made sweet potato biscuits–big hit and tasted super yummy with tomato soup.
Suzanne says
We are trying to eat healthier so we had cauliflower fried rice, pork chops and acorn squash, kielbasa with peppers and onions, chicken taco salads
kris says
Friday – My husband and kids were all out various places, so it was just me, so after I dropped my son off at church, I picked up some Sushi and steamed dumplings.
Sat –
Sun – Teriyaki Ribs – Baked Potatoes – Baked Beans and Corn. I didn’t have the ribs, so I sautéed mushrooms and onions and topped my potato with that.
Mon – We grabbed takeout and I had a wrap
Tues – Beef and noodle bake, green beans and corn. I had a shrimp and broccoli stirfry w/rice.
Wed. – I had a eye dr appt that afternoon and church that evening, so I picked up my husband a sub while I made me and my daughter a plant based “burger” (like an Impossible Whopper). OMGoodness, it was delish!! Oh and we had sweet potato waffle fries (frozen style)
Thurs – Fettuccini Alfredo, Salad and Garlic Rolls.
kris says
I meant to add I can’t remember what we had Sat. night, lol
Jan says
You’re not alone!
Battra92 says
Food allergies definitely stink!
So what did I eat? Umm … Well, this week has been rough so we had to throw stuff together.
Monday: BBQ Crock pot chicken recipe, brown rice and roasted carrots.
Tuesday: Baked potatoes and salads. A light dinner to say the least.
Wednesday: Pancakes, sausage and fruit
Thursday: Various leftovers including soup, chicken, sandwiches etc.
Friday: Working late so we’re having pizza.
HeidiC says
Through our library, we are able to read for free (and print!) digital copies of Cook’s Country, Cook’s Illustrated, and some other great magazines. Maybe that’s a frugal option for some of you too.
Donna Cox says
I just wan to say how much I enjoy your post. This blog is the only one I read every time there’s a post. I feel like your family is an extended internet family.
As someone who is working on having her own blog you are an inspiration and I hope one day someone enjoys my blog as much as I enjoy yours.
Also prayers for Sonia, maybe try a keto/low-carb blog for some dinner ideas that use heavy whipping cream instead of milk. Dairy causes inflammation in my joints (hip) so I’m learning to live without it too. You don’t realize how much you use it until you can’t have it.
Kristen says
I know, right? It seems like dairy is everywhere I turn now.
A keto blog is a good idea for inspiration! Thank you.
Sarahbeth says
There must be something special about your blog… I have eventually grown tired of all the blogs I’ve read except for this one! I stumbled across your blog accidentally about ten years ago before I even had kids (can’t remember exactly how/why I found it!) and now, ten years and three kids later, I still check your blog every day! Your posts are always nice and refreshing, like a gentle consistent daily reminder of priorities. Other blogs have left me feeling exhausted mentally, and like I’m not nearly good enough because I don’t do as much as they do. You don’t make your readers feel like that!
-Monday- Leftovers from previous week. Fridge was getting overloaded.
Fruit on the side.
-Tuesday- Goulash (trying to recreate my Grandma’s recipe. Not the same of course)
-Wednesday- Leftover goulash
-Thursday- we’ve been fighting seasonal sickness this week (especially the 1-year-old) so my hubby decided to press the easy button and he brought home a Marie Callender’s pot pie. He was a hero. <3
-Friday- sausage, egg and cheese muffins (the homemade kind)
priskill says
So agree with you — “gentle consistent daily reminder of priorities”– you’ve said it perfectly!
I always walk away feeling better about everything and just inspired. So rare!!
Kristen says
Aww, that is really one of the best compliments I can imagine.
J says
Maybe, Kristen, that is part of your “uniqueness” that you referred to on the other blog/site/thing.
JenRR says
I feel your pain with trying to make family meals with allergy issues. In my house three out of four of us have dietary limitations. I am very allergic to shellfish. My son is allergic to dairy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and peas. My husband is allergic to nuts, is lactose intolerant and can’t eat avocado, melon, raspberries, banana, or pitted fruits like plums or nectarines without getting itchy. My 5 year old daughter is the lone person without allergies and she is my picky eater! We eat a lot of “separates”, like a protein dish, a grain/starch dish, and a veggie dish for dinner. Its easier for me to control ingredients that way. Even though my family is not vegan, I also often find vegan recipes helpful because they obviously don’t rely on dairy for flavor. It’s usually easy to leave out any nuts that may be called for.
cathy says
Wait, are you my family??! With us it’s one kid who’s deathly allergic to all dairy, tree nuts, wheat, barley, rye (all the gluten grains) AND oats, sorghum, teff, and buckwheat. The other kid is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, peas/legumes/lentils, melons and has Oral Allergy Syndrome where her lips get itchy if she eats things like berries, spinach, fresh tomatoes, apples… My husband is gluten-sensitive and lactose intolerant, and I can’t have soy, sesame, or bananas. Oy!! I often make a “base” everyone can have (like rice pasta) and then we each top it differently. I only saute veggies in olive oil, never butter. If I’m baking I always bake GF and dairy-free (I use rice milk). Fortunately we no longer have to worry about an egg allergy!
I completely agree with what someone else suggested—look for cuisines that don’t tend to use certain foods (we love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern) so you don’t have to make substitutions. On the other hand, it’s really easy to sub for lots of ingredients. I make mashed potatoes with olive oil, rice milk, a bit of the potato cooking waster, and spices. Then I discovered Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes are A Thing.
Kristen, my son likes dairy-free cheese made by Follow Your Heart, especially their Vegan Gourmet mozzarella (he thinks the ones with coconut taste too much like…coconut). Lots of people also like Daiya products. Silk makes a plain yogurt (and a vanilla one) that might be an alternative to sour cream. You guys might have to taste test a few brands to see what tastes best. I’m sure you’re a pro at working around the established allergies/sensitivities. After the initial shock of “What? I have to work around something else??” subsides, you’ll be just as expert at avoiding dairy.
Kristen says
OAS is what Sonia has too! Poor kid. It really sucks to not be able to eat things like fresh, juicy summer peaches. I really feel for her.
We tried the Daiya shredded cheese and that has worked pretty well for grilled cheese and quesadillas. I’ll see if I can find the Follow Your Heart cheese. So far I’ve only located the Daiya.
And yes, I completely agree about finding cuisines that naturally don’t have dairy. Substitutes have their place, but food is best when you’re not using substitutes, I think.
cathy says
Yeah, the combination of anaphylactic allergies and OAS is hard. I know sometimes my daughter just sucks it up so she can put sliced tomatoes on a sandwich. But it’s wild how many different foods affect her with OAS. I mean, rice? Seriously? Fresh greens? We have learned that often peeling the food helps because the culprit is in the peel. Once we learned that, it put apples and pears back in rotation. You might try it with peaches. Also cooking usually helps. Think tomato sauce or ketchup rather than fresh tomatoes.
People have often asked what our kids eat, which always makes me laugh. They eat all kinds of things, and probably have a healthier diet because of the allergies because fast food doesn’t happen. That said, there’s no shortage of pizza, cake, and chocolate around here!
Susan says
My 18 year old daughter has become lactose intolerant in the last year or so as well. She also deals with some acid reflux issues and has psoriasis. I wonder if they aren’t all related? It has been very hard for her because she is a cheese and ice cream lover. I think it became a problem because she started drinking ice coffee daily her last 2 years of high school. Before the coffee, she’d basically stopped drinking milk long before that. Dairy in small doses doesn’t bother her, but when she surpasses her internal limit, any kind of dairy sets her off. When she’s desperate for some ice cream she pops a lactaid now, but she’s switched to non-dairy in her coffee – soy, coconut or almond.
Kristen says
Sonia tried the lactaid thing for a while, but she was still feeling bad even with the pills. Poor kid.
It’s very lucky that cream and butter don’t bother her. It’s just cheese, sour cream, and milk.
And since she’s allergic to nuts, we have to be careful what dairy alternatives we give her too!
Kris says
Susan, you may want to read The Acid Watcher Diet by Jonathon Aviv. He is a gastroenterologist who has studied diet and reflux. He makes diet recommendations in his book to minimize/relieve reflux. One of his observations was that when his patient with reflux went on the diet, her sister (who didn’t have reflux) did the diet with her as a solidarity measure. The sister DID have psoriasis and found that her psoriasis was vastly improved after 30 days on the diet, which led him to hypothesize that the gut inflammation may not only adversely affect reflux but might also affect other body conditions as well. Hope that helps!
Haley says
For some reason when I’m pregnant I can’t tolerate milk without painful consequences. I have absolutely fallen in love with oat milk! It’s slightly sweet and has a reasonable amount of calcium. It may be worth of shot if you haven’t already tried it.
Sarah C. says
I feel ya on the dairy thing. I’m 40, have been an avid milk drinker my whole life. Lately, certain brands & store brands of milk do not agree with me anymore. It has taken me some time to figure out which ones, but currently I can drink Food Lion brand with no issues. Butter & cream are ok though! So strange. I get cranky about having milk the way others feel about coffee, so I hope this problem won’t worsen!
Tiffany says
I also have a child with food allergies that makes meal planning a little tricky. He is allergic to dairy, eggs, rice, corn, peanuts, oranges, pineapple and cantaloupe. Like you, I often make a recipe that had dairy and remove his portion before adding it in. My husband and I also eat keto, so this takes some creativity. Tonight I am making Keto Zuppa Tuscana but will dish his out before I add the cream and cheese and serve him flatbread while the rest of us have keto garlic bread. (Most keto baking is full of dairy and eggs!) I was actually wondering if you might do a post on your experience with your child’s allergies and shots. It looks like you don’t deprive the whole family of allergens. It would be great to hear from others on the topic in the comments too!
Kristen says
Ooh, the grain allergies added in must be tough!
And yeah, I do what I can to work around the allergies for the allergic individual. When it comes to dinner, it is easier if I can just pick a main dish that fits with everyone’s allergies, but if not, then I do like you do and dish up individual servings before adding allergenic ingredients.
I can do a little write-up about Sonia’s allergy shots.
Bethel says
I don’t remember what we had on Monday? But we didn’t eat out! We might have had eggs…we for sure had eggs on Sunday.
Tuesday: Chicken fajitas
Wednesday: Chicken Quinoa Casserole
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: I have no idea, which is bad. I’ll try to come up with an easy plan…maybe more eggs. Ha!
I’ve been tracking my grocery spending for January, and I’m at 125/week…that’s pretty high for me, H, and our two young kids. BUT we have not been eating out. I’m hoping to track my grocery spending for the year to figure out an average of what we spend, to then determine whether we can spend a little less without sacrificing the quality of our food.
Kristen says
If you haven’t been eating out, that’s a huge win, even if your grocery expenses are a bit higher than before. I’d venture to guess you’re still below what you’d spend if you did a little takeout regularly.
kristin @ going country says
About the most I can say about this week in the kitchen is that everyone was fed . . .
Saturday: Pizza elk (fried elk topped with marinara and melted asadero cheese–our substitute for mozzarella), pasta with marinara, frozen green peas
Sunday: Pork carnitas tacos
Monday: Leftovers, plus scrambled eggs and rice for the kid who had a run-in with his brother’s knee in the morning and was still sporting a painful and impressive fat lip at dinner time. And for me, because I couldn’t breathe and chew at the same time, thanks to my cold.
Tuesday: Taco rice skillet (ground beef taco meat, rice, cheese), frozen corn
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Bunless cheeseburgers, oven fries, canned baked beans, green salad
Friday: Big bag o’ elk awaiting my inspiration. Which I’m sure will come. Eventually.
Kristen says
I am impressed that inspiration strikes you. That never happens to me, especially as dinnertime approaches! My brain just turns to mush, it seems.
ellen says
I come and read your blog every morning. Sad when you don’t have a post that day! I might not always post, but I sure always read!
Let see if I can remember, as it has been a crazy week!
Saturday- Kids went to my mil, as DH and I had a 50th B-day party, and ate there.
Sunday-DS and Soccer practice, DH took him, they stopped for something. DD had a soccer game and with my MIL we went to Panera’s.
Monday- DD went to my mother, DS had a soccer tourney (start at 5pm) had a bite before we left, and then grabbed BK after (9:30 at night)
Tuesday-Hot Dogs, Mac and cheese
Wednesday- Home made Belgium waffles, bacon, cut up apple.
Thursday- DH/DS had a event to go to so they grabbed something. DD and I, her choice went to Panera’s again!
Friday- another crazy night, DD/DS both have a basketball game after school, ds has soccer practice after that (with a bit of time between the two) , so we are going to do Taylor ham/egg sandwich, Fried mac and cheese, if time allows. DD and I will be home after her game.
Gosh I need to plan better, hard part is Ds is a picky eater!
Luann says
Since my husband retired he has been doing most of the cooking !!! Who knew he was such a great cook
Monday : chuck roast with potatoes, carrots, onion and gravy
Tuesday: cheeseburgers with a big tossed salad, potato chips
Wednesday: Spagetti with meat sauce, homemade focaccia bread
Thursday: shrimp and veggie stir fry
Friday: bbq chicken thighs, baked potatoes and broccoli
Saturday’s plan is chili soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and Sunday we will be away all day so it will be an out to eat day.
Anne-Marie Kennedy says
Today is National Soup Swap Day, and I’m hosting a Soup Swap with two of my sisters and three friends. Everyone will have 5 new soup meals to take home. I’m making 3 loaves of “No Knead Bread” to go with our soup tasting. Husbands and kids get to participate in the tasting when all is said and done, so dinner accomplished. It’s 30 degrees and snowy in my neck of the woods, so perfect Soup weather (although any weather is soup weather in my opinion
WilliamB says
So it’s a happy coincidence that I’m making soup for a friend.
Ruth says
I don’t think you did anything wrong with the orange chicken. I just read the recipe on her blog, and there’s a place where she says the coating will “not be hard and crisp” like it would be if you used a batter. I like mine crisp, so I guess I’ll use a batter of some sort. The sauce sounds fantastic!
Kristen says
Ok, that’s hilarious! I got the recipe from her cookbook and just did a quick google to find the recipe on her blog so I could link to it in this post. So I completely missed that she said that.
If I’m going to deep fry something, I want it to be brown and crispy!
kris says
I’ve made that recipe before and had the same results as you Kristen.
Jenny says
Again, we had easy dinners on most evenings as we always had a warm lunch of leftover from the weekend and some easy meals with couscous, tomato sauce and frozen vegetables. A very frugal week – except for the selection of cheese.
Saturday: Spaghetti carbonara with zucchini instead of meat balls
Sunday: Stew with potaoes, green beans, onions, pears and bacon bits
4 of 5 week days: fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts and grape tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots.
Thursday: store-bought tortellini stuffed with squash as wellnas cheese with tomato sauce.
Molly F. C. says
I appreciate this blog so so much, Kristen. I’ve said repeatedly how it is my favorite (by far) of the ones that I subscribe to. There’s several contributing factors to that but it all starts with you. You set the respectful tone, provide interesting and relatable topics, and have brightened my day many times. So as for saying thanks…right back at ya.
P.S. Steak and twice baked potatoes, clams, shrimp & oysters, and chicken parmesan with refrigerated gnocchi were on the menu these past five days. I splurged because I have a kid returning to college, (seriously, sob), and I wanted to send her off with delightful meals.
Kristen says
I want to come eat at your house next time you send your daughter off to college!
And thank you for your kind words. <3
Molly says
Oh, Sonia, I feel for you. I’ve been through 3-4 ish ways of eating and cooking in the last 5 years, due to allergies and health reasons. We’ve been eating stuffed poblanos (with taco filling) once/week lately – it’s easily dairy free and delicious. Also shakshuka, jambalaya, spaghetti squash with pesto or garlic spinach, and Indian chickpeas. Maybe some of those will work. Good luck!
Barb from CNY says
Thank you for sharing where you find many of your recipes, that is super helpful! I think the biggest issue many of us face is trying to come up with new ideas for dinner.
Kristen says
Isn’t that the truth?? A good new dinner recipe is so valuable.
Becca says
Monday: shrimp pad Thai
Tuesday: kids ate at my parents because I had a work meeting and hubby had to work late
Wednesday: turkey taco salads
Thursday: biscuits & sausage gravy with peach & kale smoothies
Friday: white chicken chili
Weekend: leftovers because I work 12 hour nights all weekend
Esther Hummelt says
Regarding the cooks county mag, has most things turned out for you? They tend to have ingredients I have to purchase not have in the house….might need to check it out again.
I love pioneer women and forget I have her cookbooks…have you tried many of her recipes?
I feel you are so good going thru your cookbooks and actually using them. How many do you have…I have a large collection and am horrible at using them, I read them..like a good, but need to be better at trying new things. Thank you for your post. Recipes are always inspiring!
Kristen says
Yup, I have been happy with probably about 98% of the recipes I’ve tried from Cook’s Country. They tend to have fewer unusual ingredients than Cook’s Illustrated, I think.
I haven’t tried a whole lot of Pioneer Woman’s recipes; we just got one of her cookbooks at Christmas this year!
I don’t actually have a whole lot of cookbooks; less than 10. But I do regularly try recipes from my Cook’s Country magazines, and I also check out ATK/CC/CI cookbooks from the library.
I find a magazine to be helpful because then I am hit with a small number of recipes at a time, you know? Then I’m more likely to actually try some recipes.
Jackie says
Hi Kristen,
I don’t always comment, but I love….. your posts. I read everything you put up. I have and still do use a lot of your recipes. You have taught me a great deal over the years, so thank you:)
Diane York says
Same here..I always read..
Always enjoy!
Kristen says
Aww, thank you for leaving a comment! I don’t want the silent readers to feel bad, and I hope my post didn’t read that way. I’m happy to have you read however you like.
But I am always glad to hear from readers whenever they are comfortable commenting.
Tracy Polmueller says
I just wanted to jump on here and comment. I am a lurker and a binger. I don’t get a chance to read everyday because, welll…life. But I always go back to the last blog post I read and catch up. I enjoy your blog and family so very much. I would honestly be heartbroken if you ever went away!
Sarah says
Saturday – Honey Chicken nugget tenders & broccoli cheddar rice
Sunday – BBQ meatballs & soft pretzels. I use the Pioneer Woman’s BBQ Comfort meatballs recipe but add brown sugar to the meat mixture and use bottled BBQ sauce. So good!
Monday – Kielbasa, pierogies, sauerkraut & mashed potatoes
Tuesday – Chick-Fil-A date night for the hubbers and me!
Wednesday – Angel Chicken Pasta recipe from Allrecipes. My family absolutely loved it but I wasn’t too crazy about it.
Thursday – Instant Pot chicken & dumplings
Tonight – Husband will make the kids and himself breakfast sandwiches & hash brown patties. I have an attend to event and will eat dinner there!
Kristen says
So, will you make the chicken pasta again? Or is it important that the head chef like it too?
If I don’t like something, I usually just don’t end up making it, unless it’s something someone in my family REALLY wants. The main cook has some privileges, you know?
Sarah says
Usually if I don’t like it, we don’t have it again lol….unless my husband really loves it. I like making him happy so I’ll make it if he wants it! The kids really don’t mind either way
